


36. Packing, donuts and cast mates.

by glitteredsins, jennandanica



Series: Citadel: Antony Starr and Stephen Amell [36]
Category: Actor RPF, Arrow (TV 2012) RPF, Banshee RPF, Citadel (Journalfen RPG), New Zealand Actor RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-14 06:25:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4554189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitteredsins/pseuds/glitteredsins, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennandanica/pseuds/jennandanica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Warnings: none</p>
    </blockquote>





	36. Packing, donuts and cast mates.

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: none

"You want to know what's what or should I just put kitchen?" Antony asks, closing up the last of the boxes from the living room with packing tape, LR scrawled across the top in black sharpie. He'd gone out for boxes and other packing supplies early that morning and now he's methodically moving through Stephen's house, leaving out only what his boy needs to get through the next few days.

"I don't need much of my own stuff do I?" Stephen lowers the fitness magazine he's been flicking through. Having been ordered to park his butt on the couch, he's been watching Antony do all the grunt work. "I guess, pack up anything you don't have one of, and my favourite mugs in a box to go to yours, the rest can go into storage, there's no point having two sets of everything."

"Okay." Antony nods, starting to sort through things when his phone rings. Fuck. Marcus. "Yeah?" He sighs, rocking to his feet and flashing Stephen a smile as he turns away a little.

Stephen's been around his lover long enough to know when it's his 'other man' on the phone - Marcus. He grins back at Antony and turns his attention back to the magazine, leaving Antony to sort out whatever it is that has Marcus hassling him.

"No, that works. Just drop the package off at my place and I'll take care of that part," Antony says, nodding. "Yeah. No. I'm not there right now. I'm at Stephen's." Marcus knows better than to say anything though, but there's still that moment of hesitation, that place where Antony can tell he'd like to. "Okay. Call me if you have any trouble."

Tossing the magazine aside Stephen pushes up off the couch, he needs a fresh drink and some more meds, and he figures he can get those and give Antony some privacy at the same time.

"Yup. Tell everyone they'll get their share by the end of next week. Usual. Wired," he says, watching Stephen move around the kitchen. "I don't know. It's between the two. You choose." He rolls his eyes. "Or I'll choose this weekend and let you know."

Knocking back his pills with a glass of water, Stephen then turns to fill the coffee pot, it's the first day in over a week that he's actually wanted any coffee and he takes that as another sign he's on the mend.

"No. It doesn't matter to me," Antony says, sitting on the end of the sofa. "They're both three week jobs, same distance, roughly same end result." He nods, picking at a stray thread on his jeans. "Sure. We can talk about it when you get back."

As much as Stephen tries not to listen in, he can't always help catching parts of Antony's 'work' conversations, and the words 'three week jobs' have his head coming up and his heart sinking, 10 days - 2 weeks - are a pain but doable...three weeks however... _fuck!_.

He blows out a breath and scrubs at his face with one hand, before busying himself in setting out two mugs and retrieving milk from the fridge. _Three weeks..._.

Antony finishes the call and tucks his phone back into his jeans with a sigh. He never would have imagined reaching a point where he thought about taking fewer jobs, maybe even retiring, but he's starting to consider it. He _could_ keep the guys on retainers between jobs, see they're taken care of that way. Pick only the very best jobs. Fuck. He moves into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Stephen from behind and kissing his shoulder. "Hey. You're supposed to be taking it easy," he murmurs.

There's a tension in Stephen's body and despite his very best efforts he can't let it go - and he just knows Antony will feel it _Fuckfuckfuck..._. "I think I can manage making a pot of coffee," he replies, just about managing to suppress the bite in his words.

Damn right Antony can feel it. "What's wrong?"

Setting his hands on the countertop Stephen lets his head fall forward. "I couldn't help hearing that you're planning on a three week trip," Stephen starts softly, "...and I know it's work, and I know you were honest with me when we started this that that would be how things had to be...but..." he stops and swallows and shakes his head.

"It's too much. I know. I was just thinking that," Antony says, not at all surprised by Stephen's response. And while this is a huge part of why he never took a boy before, it's different now. This is a man he wants to be around for more. As his sir and his lover. "I'll see if I can get Marcus to do the recon on whichever job we take next - that's about a week on its own - and then I'll talk to him and the guys about taking fewer jobs."

Stephen blinks and then turns, a small frown creasing his forehead as he studies his lover's face. "You mean that?" Because, fuck, that's a big thing for any couple...but to Stephen...who can't recall ever feeling like he was the most important thing to anyone he's been involved with it's fucking HUGE. "You’d...do that for me?" and his disbelief and confusion are plain.

Antony nods. "I want to be here for you," he says. "With you. And I can afford to let some of these jobs go. In fact, I could afford to retire but I'm not quite ready to go there yet."

One hand scrubbing at his face again, Stephen shakes his head, unable to look up into his lover's face. "This is...a big fucking deal Antony, and...it's freaking me out more than a little right now," he admits quietly. "It's not my place to stop you doing anything...I don't have the right."

"You're not stopping me from doing anything," Antony says firmly. "This is all on me. This is what I want. I was already thinking it was too fucking much while I was talking to Marcus. _Before_ you said anything."

Chin still dipped, Stephen reaches back for the counter edge, he nods and sighs. "Okay...thank you," he offers quietly.

"There's more danger in you getting sick of me being around," Antony teases, pulling Stephen in for a hug. "You might start wanting to send me back out."

Wrapping his arms around Antony's neck, Stephen presses in, tucking his face into the crook of his lover's neck. "Never," he whispers, eyes closed and just taking the comfort and enjoying the heat and solidity of Antony's body.

*************

Antony's just sealing up the last of the boxes when there's a knock at the door. "You want to get that?" he asks Stephen.

"Sure," Stephen sets down his mug and pushes up, heading toward the door, it's getting late, so he's assuming it's Willa or Katie to check in on him. He opens the door and grins, "Katie!" he beams and steps aside to let her in.

Katie grins back and gives Stephen a critical once over, "Hmm, you're looking better," she pronounces, before offering up a brown paper bag. "Donuts," she declares before her attention is drawn by the boxes and the rather attractive looking man among them. "What's going on?"

"I'm moving," Stephen hadn't broached the subject yet - well because he'd fallen ill just as he was about to get that ball rolling. "In with Antony," he adds, with a grin over to his lover. "Katie, this is Antony, Antony, this is Katie," he shoves the door closed and ushers her further into the house.

"Pleased to meet you, Katie," Antony says, setting the tape and marker down and offering his hand.

Katie takes Antony's hand and makes no bones about her appraisal of him. "S'good to meet you too," she offers with a grin, and then throws a look over her shoulder to Stephen. "We knew he was seeing someone, because he's been looking far too pleased with himself recently," she cocks a brow at her colleague. "But we didn't realise it was serious enough for cohabiting, or that you were a Tony with a 'y' and not an 'i'," she adds drily.

Stephen has the good grace to colour up at that. "I didn't know you even knew there was a 'Tony'," he admits, because Stephen has not talked about his relationship at all at work, letting his co-stars tease him and rather enjoying their probing and ribbing.

"Hmm, well David overheard you on the phone one day, so we had a name," here she turns an amused and appreciative glance on Antony, "but guessed the wrong gender."

Antony grins. "I didn't realize I'd been the subject of so much speculation," he says, moving closer to Stephen and taking his hand. "But yes, I'm Tony, although only Stephen gets to call me that."

Another speculative once over and Katie nods. "Is that so?" She muses, before beaming broadly at both men. "I never knew you had such fine taste in men, Stephen," she laughs, "No wonder you're looking better today."

"He tells me you guys have been looking out for him while I was away," Antony says, smiling back and giving Stephen's hand a squeeze. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

Katie nods, "Well he's been really quite sick, and with no family close at hand, you gotta rely on friends, no?" She wonders if he's told Antony just how ill he was in the first few days. "We gotta get our leading man up and on his feet as soon as possible after all."

"Yeah, which is why he's been sitting on that couch directing the packing rather than doing it," Antony assures her, smiling at Stephen.

Stephen grins at that, feeling particularly warm and fuzzy at all the care he's been getting. "So, Katie, do you have time for coffee? We can have these," he waves the bag she'd brought with her. Yeah, his sugar addiction is _not_ a secret from his cast mates.

"And have extra time to check out your man here? Hell yes I have time for coffee."

"You want me to make a fresh pot?" Antony asks Stephen.

"Yeah, please," Stephen nods, offering the bag of donuts to his lover and waving at Katie to sit. Which she does, dropping down and curling one leg up under her butt, her eyes not leaving the two men before her - because...damn...Antony is every shade of hot.

Antony puts on a fresh pot of coffee and sets the donuts on a plate, rummaging up some napkins to lay out with them.

With Antony pottering in the kitchen, Katie wastes no time in leaning in to poke Stephen in the chest. "I can't believe you kept this from me, from all of us," She hisses, "Not just that you bat for the other team, but that you were this serious with someone, and there's me sharing all my conquests with you..." Shaking her head she throws a look over Stephen's shoulder. "He's gorgeous Stephen, and he really seems to care about you."

Stephen grins at that, turning to follow her gaze. "He is and he does, I hit the freaking jackpot," he admits softly, eyes on Antony.

Antony brings the donuts and napkins over and places them on the table. "How do you take your coffee?" he asks Katie.

He might be Stephen's boyfriend, and therefore totally immune to her charms, but that doesn't stop Katie fluttering her lashes a little. "Black, two sugars thank you," she practically purrs.

Stephen grins to himself, his cast mate is a well known chaser of men...making no bones about her appreciation of the opposite sex, something Stephen finds rather refreshing. Clearly even Antony isn't off limits.

Damn. She's actually really gorgeous. And another time, another place, before Stephen... Antony nods, flashing them both a smile. "I'll be right back."

"Stop flirting with my man," Stephen growls good naturedly. "It's bad manners," he adds with a grin.

"Me? Flirt?" Katie does her best outraged look for all of 10 seconds, then laughs and slaps Stephen's knee. "Oh come on, you can't blame a girl for trying, anyway, he likes guys he's not going to like me is he?" She teases, but her brows go up moments later when Stephen doesn't reply. "Oh!...so he does..."

"I do what?" Antony asks, only catching the end of the conversation as he returns with their coffee: white with sugar for Stephen, black for himself and black with two sugars for Katie. He takes a seat on the end of the couch behind his lover, his boy, warm hand on the back of his neck.

"Nothing." Stephen glares at Katie - willing her to shut up. Fat chance.

"Like girls too," she beams sweetly over the top of her mug. "Or so I'm concluding by Stephen's death stare," she adds impishly.

Antony chuckles. "I do. Like women, that is, but I'm very much taken," he says, rubbing the back of Stephen's neck. And while he hasn't committed to being monogamous, he's finding he doesn't have much appetite or interest in anyone else these days.

Katie's pout is as theatrical as her sigh. "Well that sucks for all of us girls hmm?" She winks at Stephen. "Relax Stephen, as if I'd really go after your guy," she raises a brow at him. "It's just good to see you happy," she states, letting the teasing fall away now. Because yeah, there's something about Stephen that's different - something she can't put a finger on - but something good.

"Now eat your sugar fix," she waves her hand at the donuts. "Keep your strength up," she smirks.

"Yes dear," Stephen drawls, used to her bossing him around. He reaches for a napkin and one of the treats.


End file.
